In today's episode, we'll meet Richard Hill, the adoptee who was the first to use DNA testing to search for and discover the identity of his birth parents. This pioneer took his decades of searching and turned his story into an opportunity to teach and help others along their own paths.  

Host Brianne interviews Richard about the highlights of his search which are detailed in Finding Family: My Search for Roots and the Secrets in My DNA. An experienced speaker, Richard continues to educate others around the world, often via webinars.

This episode contains details of Richard's story as well as descriptions of Y chromosome testing and autosomal DNA testing and how these two types of DNA are tools that help in different ways for someone on a search for biological family. It's great listening for the beginner just starting to learn about DNA and its connection to genealogy and biological family as well as the experienced searcher who might be wondering about how to guide others in the "what now" phase after family members are identified.

Richard speaks about the impact the late discovery of his adoption had on him as a young adult and how learning he had a biological brother he learned about was the trigger to start his search in earnest. The conversation wraps up with Richard sharing his insights into the best outcomes from advances in DNA testing and his forecast for the future.

Learn more about Richard Hill:

https://www.DNA-Testing-Adviser.com 

https://www.facebook.com/DNATestingAdviser/

Finding Family: My Search for Roots and the Secrets in My DNA -- available in print, eBook, and audiobook formats

Guide to DNA Testing - Kindle book available on Amazon.com (non-Kindle owners can read through the Kindle app for mobile)

Richard's collection of sites and resources for genetic genealogy - https://www.dna-testing-adviser.com/support-files/genetic-genealogy-links.pdf 

Interested in learning more about unknown parentage searches and DNA testing? Check out:

Could the DNA Test Be Wrong?

DNA Guide for Adoptees

In the first 4 minutes of today's podcast, you'll hear a ballad sung by today's guest, Cory Goodrich, inspired by her NPE discovery. Then we'll get started with the conversation!

What happens when a brilliantly creative person finds time on their hands during a worldwide pandemic? If you're Cory Goodrich, the stars align in a way that opens doors, and you churn out a hopeful and poignant memoir called Folksong.

Cory's memoir touches on the pain & hope she felt through her journey at the end of her mother's life and through the discovery soon after that her mother had been keeping a secret about Cory's paternity for decades.

If you are a mother or parent keeping a DNA secret...

If you are a family member who wants a family secret to stay under wraps...

If you are a sibling who finds out your brother or sister is a half sibling, or that you have a new sibling you didn't know about...

And especially if you're an NPE struggling...stop & listen to Cory's experience today.

We kick off the conversation with Cory's editor Elizabeth Lyons involved in the discussion. The funny Cory/Elizabeth duo documents the twists involved in crossing paths and bringing Folksong to life. Cory then explores the ways creative expression has been life-saving to her. Her art has taken on new life and new meaning since she discovered that music and acting (and even painting!) are in her DNA.

We learn about Cory's journey of loss and how she was able to work her way through it.

Cory aims to de-stigmatize mental health issues for those with an NPE discovery. If in the aftermath of a DNA discovery, you have the thought "I am going crazy," Cory wants you to know she's been there, too. If you've struggled with your sanity, if you've had suicidal ideation, considered or tried therapy and medication to get you through it, Cory wants you to understand you are not alone.

Cory also addresses the mothers out there who--like hers--hold a secret about their child's genetic origins. She speaks to these mothers with honesty and compassion. Your child might be angry, she says, but if they are like Cory, once the anger resides the empathy moves in. A most powerful comment Cory makes about her mother was this: "I never would have stopped loving her."

"I am so grateful for who I am today because of this," says Cory near the end of the episode. 

A not-to-miss episode of DNA Clarity and Support!

Resources:

Cory's website

The Folksong website

Directory of specialized counselors at MPEcounseling.org (formerly NPEcounseling.org)

Mental health professional training for NPE support:

- Parental Identity Discovery by Jodi Klugman-Rabb

- NPE Trauma-Informed Coaching sponsored by NPE Friends Fellowship

If you're experiencing a mental health crisis, please reach out to the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.

"I was no stranger to shock and grief...[but] this was something altogether different. The quality of it was different...It was trauma at the level of identity."

A watershed moment in the life of Dani Shapiro--the discovery that she was donor-conceived--was triggered by an innocent adventure into consumer DNA testing. As a memoirist and novelist, Dani had spent her career putting her life experiences into words to guide the way for others. Her NPE ('not parent expected') discovery was no exception. Dani published her NPE memoir "Inheritance" in 2019, and it's the book she says she was born to write.

Different types of NPE experiences include late-discovery adoptions, the revelation of an extra-marital affair, and more. When the discovery is made during life, and how it is made, can have long-term impacts on feelings around self-identity. In this episode of DNA Clarity and Support, Dani answers questions like, "How much of your experience was in your head? How much was a physiological or physical reaction?" Her husband Michael Maren joins in the conversation with host Brianne for a little while to tell about Dani's NPE discovery from the perspective of spouse, search assistant, and main support person. 

Dani talks about the therapy she sought out.

Even if you've already read Inheritance and listened to Dani on other podcasts, you will learn something new and take away a deeper understanding of the impact of DNA testing on lives.

Genetic counselors, IVF counselors, and others who work in the world of infertility and assisted reproductive technology--make sure to stick around and listen through to the end. You are the professionals involved when families are making decisions today that will result in NPE discoveries like Dani's in the future. Brianne has some thoughts for you and encourages you to be at the forefront of changes in the world of donor conception. 

The era of family secrets has come to an end, and it's time to stop and listen and learn and discuss how we as a society move into the next era with compassion and understanding and a unified goal of healing and support. Thanks to Dani for shining a light and leading the way for many who follow in her footsteps.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Right to Know

DNA Detectives

watersheddna.com/resources - lists the collective of Genetic Identity Rights supporters

Brianne's "Prepare to Share" coaching services for parents who need to share a DNA secret with their child

MPEcounseling.org 

The Body Keeps Score

Family Secrets podcast

Follow Dani Shapiro:

website: www.danishapiro.com

Instagram: @daniwriter

Twitter: @danijshapiro

Facebook: Dani Shapiro 

Find your copy of Inheritance:

eBook

Audiobook

Paperback book

Want to learn a little bit about where the fear and stigma around cousin marriages come from? Ready to be challenged by listening in on a conversation between two genetic counselors discussing past work with families facing uncertain, traumatic pregnancies? Things get real really fast in this episode. We will warn you upfront, some listeners might struggle with some parts of the conversation. 

Janice Berliner is a genetic counselor and author whose first novel "Brooke's Promise" is the main point of discussion. In this episode, Brianne and Janice cover a lot of ground. The topics you can expect to hear about are:

Janice has chosen to be vague in talking about the details of her novel's storyline, so as not to give away the ending! But she opens up with Brianne and listeners of DNA Clarity and Support about the issues the characters face. Issues like: 

facing social stigma  

thoughts of pregnancy termination 

grappling with the diagnosis of a life-limiting disease in an infant 

uncovering upsetting information about genetic family relationships that brings everything into question  

This episode is different from previous episodes of DNA Clarity and Support, as we take the discussion to the edge of what's within the comfort zone for most people. We give you a sense of how genetic counselors can be a resource and a safety net when things go sideways in the world of DNA testing. 

Brianne briefly mentions resources for those in the community of adoptees, NPE ("not parent expected") discovery-makers, and genealogists and search angels who make a discovery of closely related bio parents. This is sometimes called a high ROH discovery. Here's information from WatershedDNA.com to help you know where to go and what to do next:

What is "high ROH"? 

How a high ROH discovery granted a sense of relief and healing for one person 

Encouraging compassion around ROH discoveries 

If you are curious to understand more about hereditary genetic disease and are willing to explore the ethical twists and turns that arise for a family raising a medically fragile child, order your copy of Brooke's Promise. Reach out to Janice at [email protected] with your thoughts!

You can find Brooke's Promise at these places:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Good Reads

Janice Berliner's website 

Brianne's book The DNA Guide for Adoptees includes chapters on many topics discussed in today's episode, including high ROH, support resources for those making unexpected DNA discoveries, and medical genetics. 

Find your copy here:

WatershedDNA.com

Amazon

This episode has been reported to be a trigger for those who are the adoptee, donor-conceived person, or NPE/MPE in a surprise family member discovery. The experience and perspective of those individuals are not covered. 

With the increasing popularity of at-home consumer DNA testing through companies like Ancestry.com and 23andMe, more and more men are finding previously unknown offspring. For a man with a wife and family, this discovery presents unique challenges, particularly if that newfound "child" is a grown woman. 

In this episode, host Brianne interviews Molly Corrigan, the author of the short guide "An Unexpected Father-Daughter DNA Match." Corrigan wrote this straightforward, quick read with input from her husband to support the discovered biological father and his family. It's a resource she describes as something she wishes had existed when their family was suddenly faced with a surprise biological child discovered through an extended family member's DNA test. 

Blog posts about the biological father and family side of DNA discoveries are less common, but these are some of the most often visited and read of all guest posts on the Watershed DNA blog. Read more below:

Two biological fathers share their experiences

Molly describes the reason for creating "An Unexpected Father-Daughter DNA Match"

Laura describes the shock and grief experience that happened from the appearance of an adult child for she and her husband who were child-free by choice

Many NPEs, adoptees, and others who reach out to biological relatives have a desire for medical information. Although the adoptee who reached out to the Corrigan family reportedly did not ask about it this, medical history a common and valid reason for outreach. Family medical history is a cornerstone of the medical record, as it can help forewarn some people of potential threats to their health and future generations of the family.

Read more on the topic of gathering family history here:

A blog post about the importance of family medical history, how to gather it, and what to do if you can't

What to focus on when asking about family medical history

For more details on this, check out chapters 20-27 in The DNA Guide for Adoptees.

Ways to read An Unexpected Father-Daughter DNA Match:

Find a paper copy on Amazon

Read on Kindle

Listen to this episode of DNA Clarity and Support as author Libby Copeland discusses with Brianne the complex themes she explores in her timely book The Lost Family: How DNA Testing Is Upending Who We Are. This popular science read makes the topic of DNA and family approachable by all readers, no matter their familiarity with the topics of genetics and genealogy. Copeland centers the narrative on the story of a woman named Alice Plebuch and draws in the stories of other individuals and families impacted by genealogy, genetic testing, and family discoveries. Follow this link to read Copeland's Washington Post original article about Alice.

In this episode:

• Hear from Copeland as she describes the impact writing The Lost Family had on the understanding of her own family. 
• Get tips on resources for those involved in adoption, donor conception, and "NPE" not-parent-expected (sometimes called MPE) discoveries. 
• Understand more about the adjustment to changes in self-identity, whether involving ethnicity or family, for a person who learns unanticipated news from a DNA test.
• Find out how to order a special copy signed by the author and how to support indie booksellers.

Involved in an unexpected family discovery? Find support today whether you are a person at the center of the discovery or a person impacted by a DNA discovery for someone else. This (+more) at watersheddna.com!

Get your copy of The Lost Family from one of these places:

Amazon

Bookshop.org (works with independent bookstores around the U.S.)

The Village Bookstore (a brick-and-mortar store in Pleasantville, New York that will send you a signed copy)

One DNA discovery in a family is often more than enough...so what happens when there are nine?

Stephen Anderson never expected that his decades of family research using traditional methods--genealogical records and oral histories--would be turned into a years-long journey to unravel the truth around his paternity and that of his many siblings. Steve is today’s guest on the third episode of DNA Clarity and Support. He admits to the host Brianne that didn’t want to write his book A Broken Tree, but that he felt like he had to. 

Listen as Steve describes what it’s like to be part of a large family in which reactions to an NPE (“not parent expected”) discovery varied greatly and how the outcomes of each discovery were also not the same.

Steve offers advice to fellow NPEs about the importance of forgiveness and how he found his way to peace after three intense years of emotional pain.

Resources mentioned in today's episode include:

NPE Friends Fellowship

Watershed DNA site

A full resource list for NPE Support

In this episode of DNA Clarity and Support, Mary Beth Sammons shares with host Brianne the backstory to her book Ancestry Quest. This quick-and-easy read explores the stories of dozens of individuals who found meaning and connection to family and their history, sometimes after an intentional search and sometimes by happenstance. If you’re a “chicken soup for the soul” type of reader, Sammons’ approach to writing about families will appeal. Sammons reminds us that when you search for the silver linings, you are sure to find them.

Listen as Mary Beth and Brianne discover the similarity in the way a grandparent's life led them to research family history and what they have learned from listening to others and helping others to share their stories of family and discovery.

DNA Clarity and Support is podcast produced by Watershed DNA. It covers the growing phenomenon of DNA discoveries and how unexpected findings have the power to change lives, redefine personal identity, and restructure families. Also check out episode 1 and subscribe for automatic notification when other episodes drop!

Welcome to the very first episode of the DNA Clarity and Support podcast! 

In this episode, Maggie Chenard shares with host Brianne Kirkpatrick Williams the journey she has taken after a discovery less than two years ago that the father she has always known was not her biological father. Maggie is known as the Mindful NPE  on Instagram and Twitter, and she hosts a secret Facebook group of same name. Learn from Maggie’s experience how grief changes with time, the impact of an "NPE" (not parent expected) discovery on existing relationships, and what it takes to help those around you know how to offer the right kind of support.

Maggie Chenard is on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook as the Mindful NPE. Check out her social media posts and the other resources we discuss including:

• Watershed DNA membership site //
• Maggie’s interview with Eleanor Griffith on the Patient Stories podcast //
• Maggie's Story on NPE Stories podcast with Lily //
• The nonprofit organization NPE Friends //
• The collective group of MPE/NPE support organizations and individuals
  

DNA Clarity and Support launch on March 15, 2021 with episode one, a discussion with the Mindful NPE, Maggie Chenard. Follow this link to sign up for automatic updates about the podcast and other offerings from Watershed DNA and show host Brianne Kirkpatrick. Visit watersheddna.com for anything and everything related to DNA testing, whether you've already tested, have family who already has, or have thoughts about DNA-testing yourself.